IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,402,477
Granted Patent B2
US 12,402,477 · App. 17/927,020 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Display device and method of manufacturing display device

Inventors: Tohru Okabe (Sakai, JP); Shoji Okazaki (Sakai, JP); Shinsuke Saida (Sakai, JP); Shinji Ichikawa (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H10K59/1201H10K59/8723H10K59/8731
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,402,477
App. No.
17/927,020
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A display device includes a display panel, wherein the display panel has a display area and a non-display area along a periphery of the display area, the non-display area includes a frame area and also includes an intermediate area between the display area and the frame area, and letting a first areal ratio be an areal fraction of lateral cross-sectional areas of a plurality of spacers per unit area in the display area, a second areal ratio be an areal fraction of lateral cross-sectional areas of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the intermediate area, and a third areal ratio be an areal fraction of lateral cross-sectional areas of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the frame area, the plurality of spacers are arranged so as to satisfy relations, first areal ratio < second areal ratio < third areal ratio.

Claims (23)

1. A display device comprising a display panel comprising:

a light-emitting element;

a transistor layer containing a transistor configured to switch a voltage applied to the light-emitting element; and

a plurality of spacers on the transistor layer, wherein

the display panel has a display area including the transistor and the light-emitting element and also has a non-display area along a periphery of the display area,

the non-display area includes a frame area and also includes an intermediate area between the display area and the frame area, and

letting a first areal ratio be an areal fraction of lateral cross-sectional areas of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the display area, a second areal ratio be an areal fraction of lateral cross-sectional areas of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the intermediate area, and a third areal ratio be an areal fraction of lateral cross-sectional areas of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the frame area, the plurality of spacers are arranged so as to satisfy relations, first areal ratio <second areal ratio <third areal ratio.

2. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of spacers include first spacers in the display area, second spacers in the intermediate area, and third spacers in the frame area, and

at least two of a count of the first spacers per unit area in the display area, a count of the second spacers per unit area in the intermediate area, and a count of the third spacers per unit area in the frame area differ.

3. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of spacers include first spacers in the display area, second spacers in the intermediate area, and third spacers in the frame area, and

at least two of a lateral cross-sectional area of the first spacers, a lateral cross-sectional area of the second spacers, and a lateral cross-sectional area of the third spacers differ in size.

4. The display device according to claim 2 , wherein the third spacers, the second spacers, and the first spacers have protrusion amounts that decrease in a stated order.

5. A display device comprising a display panel comprising:

a light-emitting element;

a transistor layer containing a transistor configured to switch a voltage applied to the light-emitting element; and

a plurality of spacers of a same shape on the transistor layer, wherein

the display panel has a display area including the transistor and the light-emitting element and also has a non-display area along a periphery of the display area,

the non-display area includes a frame area and also includes an intermediate area between the display area and the frame area, and

letting a first count ratio be a count of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the display area, a second count ratio be a count of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the intermediate area, and a third count ratio be a count of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the frame area, the plurality of spacers are arranged so as to satisfy relations, first count ratio <second count ratio <third count ratio.

6. A method of manufacturing a display device including a display panel including: a light-emitting element; a transistor layer containing a transistor configured to switch a voltage applied to the light-emitting element; and a plurality of spacers on the transistor layer, wherein the display panel has a display area including the transistor and the light-emitting element and also has a non-display area along a periphery of the display area, and the non-display area includes a frame area and also includes an intermediate area between the display area and the frame area, the method comprising:

a step of forming the plurality of spacers on the transistor layer so as to satisfy relations, first areal ratio <second areal ratio <third areal ratio, where the first areal ratio is an areal fraction of lateral cross-sectional areas of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the display area, the second areal ratio is an areal fraction of lateral cross-sectional areas of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the intermediate area, and the third areal ratio is an areal fraction of lateral cross-sectional areas of the plurality of spacers per unit area in the frame area.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2022
From: OKABE, TOHRU; OKAZAKI, SHOJI; SAIDA, SHINSUKE; ICHIKAWA, SHINJI
To: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 061849/0210 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230217786A1 · Jul 6, 2023
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